Alternating rotary drive for washing-machines



V I G. K. PARSONS. ALTERNATING ROTARY DRIVE FOR WASHING MACHINES. APPu'cAJloNnLEn FEB. 18,19 8. RENEWED APR. 28, 1919. 1,30 ,104.

Patented July 1, 1919.

anon? UNITED STATES GEORGE K. PARSONS, 013 DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

ALTERNATING ROTARY DRIVE FOR WASHING-MACHINES.

aoaioa.

Application filed February 18, 1918, Serial No. 217,785. Renewed April 28, 1919.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, GEORGE K. PARsoNs, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Detroit, in the county of Wayne and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Alternating Rotary Drives for VVashingr-Machines, of which the followin is a specification, reference being had t erein to the accompanying drawings.

llhis invention relates to a portable clothes washing machine, and has special reference to that type of machine which is electrically operated and includes an oscillatory or intermittently rotated washing or agitating element.

The primary object of my invention is to provide a portable machine of the above type that obviates the necessity of providing a special casing or container for the washing or agitating element of the machine. and this is accomplished by providing machine supports that may be easily and quickly at tached to the edges of various kinds of wash tubs. bath tubs or other receptacles in which clothes may be placed and subjected to the action of the washing or agitating element of the machine.

A further object of my invention is to provide a portable washing machine wherein the parts are constructed with a view of reducing the cost of manufacture and at the same time retain those features by which safety. durability. ease of installing. and ready control are secured.

With such ends in View. my invention resides in the novel construction. combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter specifically described and then claimed.

Reference will now be had to the drawings. wherein- Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a stationary washing tub, showing the machine attached thereto. with a portion of the machine in section;

Fig. 2 is a plan of the same, and

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view of the stationary wash tub showing the washing:- or agitating element of the machine therein.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jul i, 1919.

Serial Re. 293,310.

In the drawing, the reference numeral 1 denotes. by the way of an example, a receptacle in the form of a stationary washing tub to wh ch my portable machine may be easily and quickly attached.

The machine comprises a longitudinal support 2 having a lateral extension 3 intermediate the ends thereof, and the ends of sai lsup1mrt are adjust-ably connectedto inverted U-shaped clips 4 adapted to be placed on the upper edges of the end Walls 5 of the tub 1. so as to support the support 2 longitudinally of the tub. The clips there the outer sides thereof provided with set screws 6 in order that said clips may be fixed relative to the end walls 5 of the tub and said clips have upwardly extending screwthreaded studs 7 protruding through longitudinal slots 8 in the support 2 and adapted tore: ceive winged thun'ib nuts 9. It is therefore possible to shift the support 2 longitudinally ot' the tub 1. or through the medium of the clips 4-. shift the support transversely of the tub. In this manner the support 2 may be correctly positioned to hold the machine in desired relation to the walls of the tn Depending from the lower face of the support 2 is a hanger 10 and a casing'11 for gudgeons 12 carried by spaced heads 13 between the casing 11 and the hanger 10. The heads 13 may be made of metal or any desired material and are preferably circular with a plurality of rounds l-iconnecting said heads contiguous to the peripheral edges thereof.

The rounds 14 may be made of wood and some of said rounds are carried b frames 15 pivoted on one of the rounds so as to form a door that will permit of clothes being placed in the drum or barrel. and a suit;- able latch or holdfast device 16 may be employed for retaining the; door in a closed position. Within the drum or barrel are suitable haiiie members 17 and by oscillating or intermittently rotating the drum or barrel the clothes therein will be subjected to a scrubbing oragitation that will cleanse the same.

To operate the drum or barrel, a novel electrically drivenhiechanisin is employed for revolving the drum in one direction and eledgear wheel 22 meshing with. a beveled gear Wheel 23 one longitudinal shaft 24,

journaled inbearings 25 and 26 carried by the support 2.

' On the end of the shaft 24 is a beveled.

gear wheel 27 constantly meshin with horizontally disposed beveled gear w eels 28 and 29, loose on a shaft 30 extending through I the support 2 and journaled in brackets 31 and 32, the former being carried by the hearing 26' and the latter supported within-the casing 11. The beveled gear wheels ZR-and 29 have clutch members 33 and adapted to engage said clutch members is a slidable clutch member 34 on the vertical shaft 30 and adapted for rotation therewith. The direction in which the vertical shaft. 30 is driven by the motor 18 depends on the slidable clutch member 34, which is adapted to alternately engage the clutch members of the beveled gears 28 and 29, and to accomplish this a novel shifting mechanism is located within the casingll.

The lower end of the vertical shaft 30 has a beveled gear wheel 35 meshing with a beveled gear wheel 36 on the end of one of the gudgeons 12, and that portion of the vertical shaft 30 above the bracket 32 is screwthreaded to receive a non-rotatable nut 37 said nut being held against rotation by an arm 38 in sliding engagement with the rib 39 within the casing 11. During the rota-- tion of the vertical shaft 30, the nut 37 travels back and forth on said shaft and impinges against adjustable arms 40 carried by a shift rod 41 that is guided in its moveinent by the bracket 32, the top of the casing 11. and the support 2. The upper end of the shift rod 41 is pivotally connected to a fulcrum lever 42 supported on a bracket 43,

carried by the support 2, and said fulcrum lever is connected to the clutchv member 34, so as to slide the same on the vertical shaft 30, without interfering with the rotatire movement of said clutch member.

To hold the shift rod 41 in adjusted position, the support 2 has a resilient keeper 44 that engages the outer end of the fulcrum lever and holds said lever with its clutch member in driving relation with the horizontal beveled gear wheels 28 or 29.

Assuming that Water has been placed in the tub 1 and prepared for washing purposes, that clothes have been placed in the drum, and that the electric motor 13 has been started, then the drums will be first revolved ina clockwise direction, considering Fig. 1, and then in a counterclockwise direction, the period of rotation in either direction being determined by the traveling nut 37 on the vertical shaft 30. The travel-- ing nut 37 will first shift the rod 41 in one direction and then in the other-direction, thereby establishing driving relations alternately with the beveled gear wheels 28 and 29.

I attach considerable importance to the simplicity of the support in connection with the washing machine per 86, as the support permits of the washing machine being suspended in various kinds of receptacles, such as generally found in or about a house thereby obviating the necessity of incasing the oscillatory drum in a special cylindrical tub or caslng.

It is thought that the operation and utility of my invention will be apparent without further description, and while in the drawing there is illustrated a preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that the structural elements are susceptible to such variations and modifications as fall within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:-

1. In a washing machine, the combination of a support, a rotatable drum carried thereby, a casin at one end of said drum, a screwthreaded s aft in said casing adapted to rotate said drum, spaced beveled gears loose on the upper end of said screw threaded shaft, a motor driven shaft having a beveled gear meshing with said beveled gears adapted to impart movement to said gears in different directions, a clutch on said 'screwthreaded shaft adapted for establishing a driving relation between either of said spaced gears and said screw-threaded shaft and controlling the operation of said shaft by said motor driven shaft, a shiftahle rod adapted to actuate said clutch. arms on said rod and a nut on said screwthreaded shaft adapted to travel thereon and alternately impinge against said arms and shift said rod.

2. Operating means for the drum of a washing macl'iine, comprising a. screwthreaded shaft adapted to impart a rotary movement to said drum. beveled gear wheels loose on said shaft, a driven beveled gear wheel constantly meshing with said loose beveled gear wheels, a clutch between said loose beveled gear wheels adapted for alternate engagement therewith to establish a driving relation between said driven beveled gear wheel and said screw-threaded shaft, a In testimony whereof I 'afliX my signature shlftable rod adapted to actuate sald clutch, 1n the presence of two wltnesses. arms on said rod and a nut on 52nd screwthreaded shaft adapted to travel thereon RG K 5 when said shaft is driven and alternately Witnesses;

engage said arms to actuate said hiftable .KARL H. BUTLER,

rod. 1 ANNA M. D0RR. 

